As Mr Albanese addressed the Caucus Room today following the formal announcement, he offered his congratulations to Scott Morrison on his election win.

Mr Albanese then explained he'd reached out to the Prime Minister before the formal announcement, and Mr Morrison had tried to text him a congratulations, but he never received the message.

"I heard since he actually did text me congratulations to a wrong number," Mr Albanese said, as the room tittered. "A couple of days ago.

"He then on Tuesday followed up with a text message, that I thought was from Scott, my mate from Concord, who I grew up with," he said to laughter in the room.

"So to Scott and Sheree, g'day. They grew up in Lambert St, Camperdown, with me. They live in Reid, but apologies, they still come and hand out for me. They're great people.

"And so to Scott, where's your message, mate?" he joked.

He then thanked Mr Morrison for eventually getting a message to him, saying, "I respect the office of prime minister."

"That doesn't mean you will get an easy time, because you won't," Mr Albanese added.

He then praised his team and took a swipe at the Liberal party, saying Labor was "just so much more impressive and capable than those on the government benches".

"They had ministers who had to be hidden from view, during an election campaign," Mr Albanese said.

He said he and Mr Morrison had "fundamental differences" when it came to the direction the country should be heading in, but signalled he would work with the Prime Minister where the two parties could agree.

"I want to be known as the Labor leader, not the opposition leader," Mr Albanese said.

He said to disappointed Labor supporters the party was not "despairing" but was determined to "do better".